Carefree Councilmember, Mike Farrar announces candidacy for Mayor

Mike Cares about Carefree! Mike Farrar’s passion and commitment to Carefree is what makes him stand out, so much so, that he has been asked by community and business leaders to run for Mayor of Carefree. He has also received broad support and endorsements from elected officials valleywide as well as former Council members from Carefree and the town’s own economic develoment consultant. Mike is eager to be the next Mayor of Carefree.

“We live in a remarkable community, filled with beautiful scenery, charming streets and gardens, talented and educated people who share a sincere appreciation for our Carefree community. Therefore, I am excited to kick off my campaign to be the next Mayor of Carefree,” said Farrar. “Over the years in my role as a town council member, I have been honored to fight rigorously for fiscal restraint, and I am proud to be a part of the balanced and measured progress that Carefree has experienced. The day I am sworn in as Mayor, I promise to be transparent and promote unity, prosperity, and accountability. Effective town government must be open, responsive and respectful to all. Good goverance builds synergy and trust between businesses, community and town hall.”

While Mike is an Arizona native, he grew up on military bases throughout the world. His father was career United States Air Force and is buried at the AZ National Cemetery. After losing his father, his brother passed away shortly thereafter and he spends much of his time with his mother who lives in Glendale. He earned his B.S. honors degree in Economics from NAU and MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management. Mike played baseball in college, and with the Hohokam Cubs, and the European League (EAPB) with the National Team of Finland. He raised his daughter Asia, as a single parent, and is proud of the lovely woman and mother she has become. He enjoys his close relationship with her and his three-year-old granddaughter, Naveah. Mike is currently an associate with Marcus and Millichap.

Farrar’s leadership will help guide Carefree into the future, and his sincere desire to serve all people of Carefree with a positive message.

Economic Development: Time for change. Our small businesses are the backbone of our local economy, now more than ever, it’s time to support our small business owners. We can’t afford to neglect our commercial districts, and need to build a clear marketing plan to brand Carefree more consistently to sustain our current businesses and attract future investments. Farrar sees the role of Mayor as “an ambassador — building strong relationships with our local business community that currently feels abandoned and disconnected to town hall, especially business owners outside our town core, such as Mariachi Plaza and Carefree Marketplace.

Water: It is crucial we ensure we bring all our residents into Carefree Water service area to provide a reliable and safe water source. Water services for almost a third of our Carefree residents which are not served by the town’s water company, are facing rising costs and continued undependable water supply if we do not act more progressively.

Fiscal Constraint: Mike further opposes any efforts by town government to support a local property tax. He states, “Not only is the economy improving, but there are other options the town can pursue to support town services, such as eliminating inefficiencies and unnecessary expenses. Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Do what you can, where you are, with what you have.” We are a small community that has supported ourselves for years without a local property tax, there is no reason to start an initiative to enact such a tax now and I am opposed to it. My concern is that once a local property tax is enacted, tax creep will only continue to grow.”

Term Limits: Farrar has proudly served the community of Carefree for seven years and is term-limited in his role as council member. “I respect and honor the vote of our citizens that enacted term limits in Carefree.” stated Mike. “There is so much more I want to contribute to my community which is why I decided to run for Mayor.”

Experience: Mike has represented Carefree at the Maricopa County Association of Governments (MAG), MAG Economic Development Committee and Greater Phoenix Economic Council. “I have learned about the vision and challenges other cities and towns experience. I know how important it is to ensure Carefree is a part of the dialogue, plans and work being done regionally. We need to share the attractiveness of our community and the potential we hold for residents and businesses while keeping the sense of place that makes Carefree the home we love.” said Farrar.

Mike also spearheaded the Urban Land Institute’s Technical Assistance Panel and the Village Plan Study by Baker International to provide recommendations for Carefree’s economic development planning. He was instrumental in securing Steve Betts as Carefree’s development consultant. Betts was the key figure in bringing the new ownership that acquired the Carefree Resort, now known as Civana. Other programs Mike has organized to improve our community include; the Foothills Trolley, the Italian Festival, the Memorial Day Tribute, and the Concert Series in the Garden. He is actively working on bringing an Outdoor Carefree Film Festival and a Veterans Memorial into the community as well. “I want to put the experience, networks, and knowledge gained in my years representing Carefree locally and regionally to work in a new way,” said Mike.

Farrar has more than twenty-five years of real estate experience in both commercial and residential marketing, financial analysis, and transactional brokerage. Mike has worked with the Arizona State Treasurer’s Office, Arizona Department of Housing and significant development projects throughout the state, which enables him to take real world, life experiences to help bring sensible planning to our community.

In addition to his duties as a town councilman, Farrar also is a member of the Urban Land Institute, Valley Partnership, and National League of Cities and Towns’ Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Works Committee. Additionally he volunteers with several local charities; Andre House of Arizona, Human Services Campus, Foothills Foodbank, and Tiny Homes for Vets.

Farrar has pledged his commitment to serve Carefree as its Mayor and is committed to being accesible to the voters of Carefree via campaign events, homeowners’ association meetings, community organizations, and soon he will be kicking off his ‘Meet Mike for Mayor” gatherings. Mike stated, “As a young man, I was interested in politics and the possibility of making a difference through excellent leadership. Now is the time to give back and I couldn’t be more ready to do so.”

Sonoran News was founded in 1995 as a community watchdog. The paper has remained true to its mission: It is dedicated to exposing corrupt and unethical local, county, state and national business and political practices.